Rock and Roll Hall of Famers The Band are one of music’s most revered and influential acts. The legendary group created timeless, unforgettable roots-based music and made history with one of the greatest concert albums of all time, The Last Waltz. This enthralling collection features dozens of special guests including Van Morrison, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Eric Clapton, Muddy Water, Paul Butterfield, Dr. John and many, many more. The breathtaking thirty-track set features the memorable standouts “Ophelia,” “Up On Cripple Creek,” “The Weight,” “Forever Young,” “Caravan” and much more. Experience one of the greatest concert recordings of all time as a pristine hi-res download.

The Band’s self-titled album was their second studio album, originally release in 1969. The Bandreached #9 on Billboard’s Pop Albums chart in 1970, and it’s single “Up on Cripple Creek” peaked at #25 on Billboard’s Pop Singles chart in 1970. The album spotlights people, places, and historical folklore within the United States.

Stage Fright is The Band’s third studio album, originally released in 1970 by Capitol Records. All of the tracks on the album were written and composed by Robbie Robertson, only a few co-written with Richard Manuel and Levon Helm. The Band departed slightly from their earlier sounds, creating a darker rock album that didn’t focus on vocal harmonies as much as they had in the previous two albums.

Music from Big Pink is the debut studio album by legendary group The Band. It was released in 1968, and the title refers to “Big Pink”, a house shared by Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson where some of the music for the album was composed. Al Kooper of Rolling Stone gave the album a rave review, and the album also gained attention due to the fact that Bob Dylan co-wrote three songs (as well as illustrating the cover art himself). In the years since its release, Music from Big Pink has been praised by many; Roger Waters has called it the second “most influential record in the history of rock and roll” after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and that it “affected Pink Floyd deeply, deeply, deeply”. The album was ranked #34 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

When The Band announced their retirement from touring, it was with the important addendum that they’d continue to record together. In actuality, the only album that subsequently emerged was „Island“, which also served to finish out the band’s contract with Capitol Records. At the time of its release in 1977, it was received with some dismay by fans anxious for a repeat of the powerful „Northern Lights Southern Cross“ of two years previous. With the passing of time having removed the pressures of those expectations, „Island“ can be heard as an album that, while fragmented, includes some fine gems. The musicianship throughout is never less than compelling. Richard Manuel’s vocal on “Georgia On My Mind” is alone worth the price of admission–he sings it as if the thousand other classic versions never existed.

Cahoots is The Band’s fourth studio album and was released in 1971. It would be their last all-original studio album for four years. The songs on the album were all written or co-written by Robbie Robertson, with the exception of Bob Dylan’s “When I Paint My Masterpiece,” which is track two on the album. Other co-writers on the album included Van Morrison, Rick Danko, and Levon Helm.

None of the Band’s previous work gave much of a clue about how they would sound when they released their first album in July 1968. As it was, Music from Big Pink came as a surprise. At first blush, the group seemed to affect the sound of a loose jam session, alternating emphasis on different instruments, while the lead and harmony vocals passed back and forth as if the singers were making up their blend on the spot. In retrospect, especially as the lyrics sank in, the arrangements seemed far more considered and crafted to support a group of songs that took family, faith, and rural life as their subjects and proceeded to imbue their values with uncertainty. Some songs took on the theme of declining institutions less clearly than others, but the points were made musically as much as lyrically. Tenor Richard Manuel’s haunting, lonely voice gave the album much of its frightening aspect, while Rick Danko’s and Levon Helm’s rough-hewn styles reinforced the songs’ rustic fervor. The dominant instrument was Garth Hudson’s often icy and majestic organ, while Robbie Robertson’s unusual guitar work further destabilized the sound. The result was an album that reflected the turmoil of the late ’60s in a way that emphasized the tragedy inherent in the conflicts. Music from Big Pink came off as a shockingly divergent musical statement only a year after the ornate productions of Sgt. Pepper, and initially attracted attention because of the three songs Bob Dylan had either written or co-written. However, as soon as “The Weight” became a minor singles chart entry, the album and the group made their own impact, influencing a movement toward roots styles and country elements in rock. Over time, Music from Big Pink came to be regarded as a watershed work in the history of rock, one that introduced new tones and approaches to the constantly evolving genre.

As a film, The Last Waltz was a triumph — one of the first (and still one of the few) rock concert documentaries that was directed by a filmmaker who understood both the look and the sound of rock & roll, and executed with enough technical craft to capture all the nooks and crannies of a great live show. But as an album, The Last Waltz soundtrack had to compete with the Band’s earlier live album, Rock of Ages, with which it bears a certain superficial resemblance — both found the group trying to create something grander than the standard-issue live double, and both featured the group beefed up by additional musicians. While Rock of Ages found the Band swinging along with the help of a horn section arranged by Allen Toussaint, The Last Waltz boasts a horn section (using Toussaint’s earlier arrangements on a few cuts) and more than a baker’s dozen guest stars, ranging from old cohorts Ronnie Hawkins and Bob Dylan to contemporaries Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, and Van Morrison. the Band are in fine if not exceptional form here; on most cuts, they don’t sound quite as fiery as they did on Rock of Ages, though their performances are never less than expert, and the high points are dazzling, especially an impassioned version of “It Makes No Difference” and blazing readings of “Up on Cripple Creek” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” (Levon Helm has made no secret that he felt breaking up the Band was a bad idea, and here it sounds if he was determined to prove how much they still had to offer). Ultimately, it’s the Band’s “special guests” who really make this set stand out — Muddy Waters’ ferocious version of “Mannish Boy” would have been a wonder from a man half his age, Van Morrison sounds positively joyous on “Caravan,” Neil Young and Joni Mitchell do well for their Canadian brethren, and Bob Dylan’s closing set finds him in admirably loose and rollicking form. (One question remains — what exactly is Neil Diamond doing here?) And while the closing studio-recorded “Last Waltz Suite” sounds like padding, the contributions from Emmylou Harris and the Staple Singers are beautiful indeed.

The Band’s first album, Music from Big Pink, seemed to come out of nowhere, with its ramshackle musical blend and songs of rural tragedy. The Band, the group’s second album, was a more deliberate and even more accomplished effort, partially because the players had become a more cohesive unit, and partially because guitarist Robbie Robertson had taken over the songwriting, writing or co-writing all 12 songs. Though a Canadian, Robertson focused on a series of American archetypes from the union worker in “King Harvest (Has Surely Come)” and the retired sailor in “Rockin’ Chair” to, most famously, the Confederate Civil War observer Virgil Cane in “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” The album effectively mixed the kind of mournful songs that had dominated Music from Big Pink, here including “Whispering Pines” and “When You Awake” (both co-written by Richard Manuel), with rollicking uptempo numbers like “Rag Mama Rag” and “Up on Cripple Creek” (both sung by Levon Helm and released as singles, with “Up on Cripple Creek” making the Top 40). As had been true of the first album, it was The Band’s sound that stood out the most, from Helm’s (and occasionally Manuel’s) propulsive drumming to Robertson’s distinctive guitar fills and the endlessly inventive keyboard textures of Garth Hudson, all topped by the rough, expressive singing of Manuel, Helm, and Rick Danko that mixed leads with harmonies. The arrangements were simultaneously loose and assured, giving the songs a timeless appeal, while the lyrics continued to paint portraits of 19th century rural life (especially Southern life, as references to Tennessee and Virginia made clear), its sometimes less savory aspects treated with warmth and humor.

The Band’s first album, Music from Big Pink, seemed to come out of nowhere, with its ramshackle musical blend and songs of rural tragedy. The Band, the group’s second album, was a more deliberate and even more accomplished effort, partially because the players had become a more cohesive unit, and partially because guitarist Robbie Robertson had taken over the songwriting, writing or co-writing all 12 songs. Though a Canadian, Robertson focused on a series of American archetypes from the union worker in “King Harvest (Has Surely Come)” and the retired sailor in “Rockin’ Chair” to, most famously, the Confederate Civil War observer Virgil Cane in “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.” The album effectively mixed the kind of mournful songs that had dominated Music from Big Pink, here including “Whispering Pines” and “When You Awake” (both co-written by Richard Manuel), with rollicking uptempo numbers like “Rag Mama Rag” and “Up on Cripple Creek” (both sung by Levon Helm and released as singles, with “Up on Cripple Creek” making the Top 40). As had been true of the first album, it was The Band’s sound that stood out the most, from Helm’s (and occasionally Manuel’s) propulsive drumming to Robertson’s distinctive guitar fills and the endlessly inventive keyboard textures of Garth Hudson, all topped by the rough, expressive singing of Manuel, Helm, and Rick Danko that mixed leads with harmonies. The arrangements were simultaneously loose and assured, giving the songs a timeless appeal, while the lyrics continued to paint portraits of 19th century rural life (especially Southern life, as references to Tennessee and Virginia made clear), its sometimes less savory aspects treated with warmth and humor.